President’s Blog: Father Tom Service Awards and Veterans Day
November 10, 2023
Greetings, Scecina Community!
This weekend marks Veterans Day, an opportunity to reflect and give genuine thanks for the countless sacrifices that the members of our United States military services have made and continue to make throughout our nation’s history.
Living in a family that has many military service veterans, and knowing many Scecina alumni and friends, who have pledged meaningful parts of their lives so that their brothers and sisters throughout the world might live, and live safely, gives me a deep sense of appreciation and admiration.
Earlier this week, we celebrated the annual Father Tom Day Mass in honor and memory of our school namesake whose selfless example of faith, courage, service, and sacrifice before, during, and after World War II has illuminated countless lives since his birth in 1910. More than 600 people were in the Scecina Gymnasium to celebrate Mass, remember and honor Father Tom, and recognize the three recipients of the 2023 Father Tom Service Award – Mrs. Lee Ann Van Benten, Mr. Ott Hurrle (’70), and Mr. Tony Schmoll (’77).
You can read more about these three outstanding individuals in my Father Tom Day Mass remarks.
The congregation for Father Tom Day Mass was a beautiful embodiment of so many facets of the Scecina Community – current students and educators, grade school students from Holy Spirit, Our Lady of Lourdes, Little Flower, and Saint Philip Neri, family and friends of the honorees, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (Dr. Brian Disney), active and retired members of the United States military services, and members of the Scecina Board of Directors.
Inspired by the Gospel values that, in turn, led Father Tom to great acts of solidarity with his fellow man, Scecina’s students and educators continue to provide true Christian witness in the modern world. Already this semester, our students have directed their God-given talents to plan a winter coat drive for underserved families, share their artistic gifts through the Sacred Music Concert and Fall Play, complete the first Christian Awakening Senior Retreat of the year, earn athletic awards ranging from individual All-City accolades to state regional competition performances, earning a girls volleyball Indiana High School Athletic Association Semi-State appearance, and attaining academic Honor Roll status by 48 percent of our students.
I thank you for your prayers and gifts of time, talent, and treasure that are indispensable as Scecina lives our 70-year mission and ministry every day into the future!
Yours in Christ,
Joe Therber
President
